Ticket and apparatus for printing it



April 26, 1932. F. w. LAENCHER TICKET AND APPARATUS FOR PRINTING I'I Filed Maroh 15, 1929 5 Sheets-She 1 awuewcoz April 26, 1932. i F, w, LAENCHER 1,855,764

TICKET'AND APPARATUS FOR PRINTING I'l Filed March 13, 1929 s sheets-shed 2 Hwuentoz April 26, 1932. F. w. LAENC HER TICKET AND APPARATUS FOR PRINTING IT Filed March 13, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Winn anomtoz v flbtowws 551M417, Mira/W4 WWW April 26, 1932. F. w. LAENCHER 1,855,764

TICKET AND APPARATUS FOR PRINTING I'l' Filed March 13, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 naw/ MJ aknu? h m My April 1932- F. w. LAENCHER 1,8,55,764'

TICKET AND APPARATUS FOR PRINTING IT v Filed March 13, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Apr. 26, 1932 warren stares earner cri cs FREDERICK W. IlAENCI-IER, OF ELMHURST, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO A. KIIVIIBALL C011"- PANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEVJ YORK TICKET. AND APPARATUS F03 PRINTING I'I' Application filed March 13, 1929. Serial No. 346,538.

This invention relates to tickets and to apparatus for printing them and has for an ob-' ject the provision ofimprovements in this art.

18 The nature and objects of the invention will be best understood by reference to a specific embodiment of the invention which will now be described, this embodiment being also illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which: i i

Figure l is a top plan view of a machine with-part of the casing removed;

Figure 2 is a side elevation with part of the casing removed;

Figure 3 is a vertical section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1; I Figure 4 is a front elevation with part of the casing removed;

Figure 5 is a transverse section taken approximately on the line 55 of Figures 1 and 2;

Figure 6 is a side elevation of a detail shown in Figure 4;

Figure 7 is a similar view with the parts in a different position;

Figure 8 is a plan view corresponding to Figure 6; and

Figure 9 shows a strip of tickets adapted to be served by the machine.

The present machine is designed to print and sever tickets from a strip of tickets. The tickets are fed to'printing position in successive steps and in order to feed them accurately a feedmember is employed tomove thestrip forward and a stop-member or abutment is employed to locate the tags, A fric tional strip-engaging finger serves satisfactorily as the feed member since it will slip. over the strip without damaging it after the abutment has stopped the strip. Such a friction member also permits the use of tickets of different widths if the travel of the friction member is of greater length than the smaller ticket widths.

The tickets used ordinarily require some attaching means, staples or strings being commonly used, and it has been found most convenient to apply such attaching means to the tickets before they arrive at the present machine. A strip of such tickets provided with attaching staples is shown in Figure 9. The device used-for stopping the forward travel of, the strip in the machine may engage any part of the tickets or a part attached to the tickets but for accuracy I prefer to use partially severed strips and have the stop device or abutment act upon an edge of the ticket.

To avoid interference by the ticket staples the abutment acts on'the side of the strip opposite the line of staples'so the tickets are slit from the clear side and left attached to each other on the staple side. v

The machine,'referring to Figure 3, comprises a base 20 on the left end of whicha motor M employed to drive the machine' is mounted, the motor being controlled by a hand switch S. The right end of the base 20 supports a casing 21 which may be held to the'base by screws 22.

The shaft 23 of the motor M is flexibly connected by a sleeve coupling 24 with a worm shaft 27 rotatably mounted in fixed bearings 28 b'etween'which bearings a worm 29-is keyed to 1 the shaft. The worm 29 meshes with and drives a worm gear 30 keyed to a main shaft 32. 1

Referring tofFi'gure 5, the main shaft 32 is rotatably mounted in bearings 33 fixed to L.

the base 20, the right bearing casting also providing extensions for the worm shaft bearings 28 and the left bearing casting providing extensions for bearings 35 supporting a rock shaft 36.

As shown in Figures 2 and 4, the end of the main shaft 32 has fast thereon a crank disc 40 carrying a crank pin 41 which drives an adjustable connecting rod 42 pivotably attached at its upper end to the end of an arm to as byscrews 50 a printing head including a chase holder 52. The chase holder slidably receives a chase 53 having a hand knob 54 and ably secured by a clip 61 to the lower end of a pad arm 62 pivoted at its upper end to a fixed bracket 63. The pad arm is pivotally connected intermediate its length by a pin 64 to an actuating link 65 pivoted by a pin 66 to the printing arm 45.

As shown in Figures 1 and 3 the strips of tickets may be retained upon the table plate 57 at the rear edge. by a retaining strip 70 and at the front edge by the laterally extending flange 71 of a side guide 7 2 hinged at 73 to a block 74 fixed to the front of the casing. Light springs normally urge the guide 72 against the edge of the ticket strip but the guide may be swung out to accommodate different widths of ticket strips, i. e. tickets of greater length. Sufficient clearance is left above the block 74s to receive the staples borne by the tickets.

Means is provided for moving a ticket strip along the table plate past printing position. As shown in Figure 4- a reciprocating friction pusher finger is employed for this purpose, the finger being firmly held down upon the strip of tickets while moving in one (feeding) direction and preferably raised above the ticket strip when moving in the opposite direction. The finger moves the strip and returns to its original position while the printing head is raised, and dwells in the return positlon while the printing head is in contact with the strip. That is, the finger and printing head act in alternation to avoid conflict with each other and to avoid wasted movement of the finger-or undesired movement of the strip.

The mechanism for effecting the required movements of the friction finger comprises (Figure 5) a cam disc 82 keyed to the main shaft 32 and provided in one face with a. cam groove 83 within which a spherical cam follower 8+1 operates, the follower 8 1 being secured by a screw 85 tothe outer end of a cam arm 86 fixed to the rock. shaft 36 previously mentioned.

Referring to Figure 4, the rock shaft 36 also has fixed thereto a block arm 87 provided with a. pin 88 at its outer end. for pivotally supporting a slide block 89. The block operates upon guides 90 on the sides of a slot formed inthe finger operating lever 92, the lever92 being pivotally supported by a fixed pin 93.

At the upper end of the operating lever 92 the finger 80 is swingably mounted upon a pin 95, the finger having a drag arm 96 at tached to it at the pivot. The lower end of the drag arm 96 is pivoted to a drag bar 97 slidable through a guide 98 and frictio-nally held therein by a leaf spring 99 tensioned by an adjustment screw 100. In Figure 3 a bracket 101 for supporting the guide is shown attached by screws 102 to the side of the main shaft bearing casting 33.

When the finger operating lever 92 is swung counter-clockwise as seen in Figure l the end of the finger 80 is pressed down because the drag bar 97 exerts a pull on the drag arm 96 tending to rotate it clockwise together with the finger. On the return stroke of the finger when the lever 92 is swung clockwise the frictional resistance of the drag bar causes the drag arm and finger to be turned counter-clockwise about the pivot pin thus raising the finger from the ticket strip. A push pin 103 secured in the lever 92 strikes the end of the drag bar after the finger had been raised sufiiciently and prevents higher rise while pushing the drag bar back through. its friction guide.

Means is herein provided for accurately stopping tickets in printing position. As shown in Figure 7 this stop means includes an abutment 105 located near the slitted edge of the ticket strip. In operation the abutment rises beneath a printed ticket which is being pushed off by the friction finger and a;

lifts one end of the ticket (the slitted end) relative to the following ticket which is held down by the guides and the friction finger. The slitted edge of the following ticket will come against the side of the abutment thus r stopping forward movement of the ticket strip. Thereafter the finger will slip over the surface of the ticket strip in completing its forward stroke, rise and return to its original position and the abutment will be lowered to 71C permit the next ticket to be pushed off after it is printed.

The mechanism for impartin g coordinated movement to the abutment comprises, as best shown in Figure 2, an abutment supporting arm 106 fixed to the end of the cutter shaft 46, the abutment piece being attached to the arm 106 by screws 107.

Referring to Figure 5, the other end of the shaft 46 just inside the bearing 48 has a cam arm 108 rigidly attached thereto. Here may be noted that the hub of the cam arm 108 serves as a fixed rest for a coil spring 109 acting at its other end against the hub id of the printing arm 45 to keep the hub pressed 1 chain lines.

It is usually desirable to sever the individual tickets from the stripafter they have been printed and for this purpose (Figures 2 and 4:) a cutting blade 115 is secured to the abutment arm 106 by screws 116. As seen in Figures 4, 6 and 7, the cutting blade 115 cooperates with the end of the table plate 57 to out the short length of ticket-connecting material on its downstroke just after the abutment has moved away. Since the cutting edge of the blade and the acting edge of the abutment are in the same plane, the cut made by the blade will coincide exactly with the slit previously made. I r

In operation a strip of partially severed tickets is placed upon the table plate between the guides and pushed by hand along the plate until the first ticket comes beneath the printing head and the machine is started.

The printing head descends and vprints the l/Vhile the first ticket and then ascends. printing head is ascending the pusher finger moves toward printing position and carries the strip of tickets with it since it is moved downinto frictionalengagementwiththestrip by the drag bar arrangement described. During this feeding movement of the finger the cutting blade is held above the top surface of the table plate and the abutment is held below the plate thus allowing the strip to be passed between them. This stage is illustrated in Figure 6. V i V The acting portion of the feeding finger may be given any shape or surface required by the character of the table plate and texture of the ticket strips. In the present machine its stroke.

a straight and smooth depending edge operates with entire satisfaction on smooth ticket strips where the'table plate has'amoderately smooth machine finis After the finger has moved the leading edge of the first ticket above itthe abutment rises as previously described to stop the strip by engaging the leading slitted edge of the second' ticket, theffinger sliding over without moving the ticket strip for the remainder of While the printing head is now descending the pusher finger retracts clear of the head and the cutting blade is moved down to sever the first ticket from the second.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that both the machine and the ticket strips are especially designed and prepared to produce assured and satisfactory final results.

The slits provide a part upon which the abutment may act and being on the edge of the ticket strip remote from the staples permits a location for the abutment where its action will not be interfered with by the staples. Indentations or cusps made on each edge of the strip between the tickets further assist in the proper alignment of the cutting blade with the slits and provide easier severance of the tlckets.

One embodiment of the invention has been described in considerable detail to furnish a proper understanding of the invention but it is to be understood that various changes and modifications are contemplated as falling within the spirit of the invention expressed in the appended claims.

l/Vhat I claim is:

1. Apparatus of the character described comprising a table plate and guides for directinga strip of tickets to a printing position therealong, an oscillatory printing head for printing said tickets as they arrive at printing position, means for actuating said printing head including a main shaft, a crank thereon and connecting members serving .to transmit motion from said crankto said printing head, means for advancing the ticket strip in steps along said table plate past printing position, said advancing means including a friction pusher finger, a swinging lever pivotally supporting said'finger, means to drive 'sald lever from sald maln shaft, -means to press said finger "downward when it moves forward and to raise it when it moves backward, said means including a drag arm attached to said. finger and to a drag bar frictionally slidable through a guide, a pin on said swinging leverfor limiting the rise of said finger on its backward stroke, an abutment swingably mounted at the endof said table plate adapted to lift the end of a previously printed ticket and engage the slitted edge of the next ticket, means for operating said abutment including a grooved cam plate on the main shaft and connections between the cam plate and abutment, and a cutting blade mounted above said abutment adapted to "cooperate with the end of said table plate to sever tickets from the strip,- said cut-' ting blade being rigidly connected to said abutment and striking said strip at a location transversely spaced from the location engaged by said abutment.

'2. Apparatus ofthe character described for f ioperating'upon a ticket strip partially severed at intervals from one edge and having ticket attaching staples along the opposite edge, including a friction finger for feeding said strip forward, a swinging abutment adapted to engage the leading slitted edge of a ticket while lifting the end of thepreceding ticket to stop the strip, the finger slidpartially severed edges.

"4. Apparatus of the character described comprising a strip slide surface, a finger for pressing a ticket strip against said surface and moving it therealong'and a stop for halting said strip, said finger sliding upon said strip after it has halted, the amplitude of movement of said finger being adequate to serve strips of different ticket widths.

5. Apparatus of the character described comprising a member providing slidable movement of a ticketstrip therealong, and a reciprocatory device engaging said strip upon said member to feed the strip in one direction but being raised above the strip on return direction, and an abutment for halting the forward movement of said strip before the end of the forward stroke of said reciprocating device.

6. Apparatus of the character described comprising a table plate, a reciprocatory device for pressing a ticket strip upon said plate to feed it by frictional engagement in one direction but rising clear of the strip in return direction, and means for actuating said device including a drag device tending to rotate the feed device about a center as it reciprocates. V

7. Apparatus of the character described for feeding a ticketstrip which is partially severed transversely at intervalscomprising a movable abutment for successively stopping the strip by acting upon the severed edges and a feed finger for successively advancing the strip by frictional engagement with the strip in the region of the unsevered'part of the strip.

8. Apparatus of the character described for acting upon a ticket strip which is partially severed transverselyat intervals comprising means for successively moving the strip and a movable abutment for successively stopping the strip by acting against the severed edges.

9. Apparatus of the character described for acting upon a periodically advanced ticket strip which comprises means for successively moving the strip and a stop member actuated in coordination with the movements of said strip for periodically engaging the strip to stop it.

10. Apparatus of the character described for acting upon a longitudinally advancing ticket strip which is partially severad transversely comprising a stop member and a cutting member disposed so as to act on different port-ions of the width of the strip. 7

11. Apparatus of the character described for acting upon a longitudinally advancing ticket stripwhich is partially severad transversely which comprises a table along which the strip moves, a stop member adapted to rise beneath the strip just. beyond the end of the tableplate and a cutting member adapted to descend for cutting the strip in cooperation with the end of the table plate.

12. Apparatus of the character described for acting upon a longitudinally advancing ticket strip which is partially severed transversely which comprises a table along which the strip moves, a stop member adapted to rise beneath the strip just beyond the end of the table plate and a cutting member adapted to descend for cutting the strip in cooperation with the end of the table plate, said stop member and cutting member being mounted upon a single movable support.

13. Apparatus of the character described for acting upon a longitudinally advancing ticket strip which is partially severed transversely which comprises a table along which the strip moves, a stop member adapted to rise beneath the strip ust beyond the end of the table plate and a cutting member adapted to descend for cutting the strip in cooperation with the end of the table plate, said stop member and cutting member being mounted upon a single movable support and vertically spaced apart to permit the strip to be fed forward between them.

14. The method of preparing tickets from a ticket strip which is partially severed transversely at regular intervals and provided with attaching staples at an edge remote from the severed portions, which comprises frictional- 1y advancing the strip in successive steps, halting the strip successively by an abutment cooperating with the edges of the transverse cuts made in partially severing the strips,

printing upon the strip while halted by said abutment, and completing the cut across the strip for the tickets as printed.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification this 11th day of March, 1929.

FREDERICK W. LAENGHER. 

